Delhi Court Issues Notice On Plea For Criminal Action Against Mallikarjun Kharge Over 'Modi Like Poisonous Snake' Remark

A Delhi Court has issued notice on a plea seeking criminal action against Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge over alleged hate speech against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and as well as the RSS and BJP.

Special Judge Jitender Singh of Rouse Avenue Courts has issued notice on the criminal revision petition filed by the complainant- Ravinder Gupta, a lawyer by profession.

Gupta has challenged the magistrate court order refusing to take cognizance of the matter and dismissing the complaint, holding that no offence of defamation and hate speech, as alleged, was made out against Kharge.

The matter is fixed for hearing on February 27.

Gupta, an RSS member, has accused Kharge of passing a “scathing remark” against Narendra Modi while addressing an election rally atNaregal in Gadag district, Karnataka in 2023.

As per the complaint, Kharge said “Mr. Modi is like a poísonous snake. If you try to test whether it is poísonous or not, you will die.”

Later, the complaint adds, Kharge purported to "clarify" his statement by saying that his remark was not directed at Narendra Modi personally, but was aimed at the BJP and the RSS.

“That, by publicly branding the ideology of the RSS, and by necessary implication its swayamsewaks, as akin to a poisonous snake whose testing would cause death, Respondent No.2's statement constitutes hate speech and defamation directed against a clearly identifiable group, i.e. RSS and its swayamsewaks, including the Revisionist, who has devoted five decades of his life in service of the organization and its ideology,” the complaint states. 

Counsel for Revisionist: Sh. Gagan Gandhi, Sh. Divesh Ranjan and Sh. Vijay Kumar, Advs